1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that is equipped with a volatile recording medium such as a work memory and a nonvolatile recording medium such as a hard disk, and is capable of transferring image data between the volatile recording medium and the nonvolatile recording medium, an image data transfer control method that is preferably used for the image processing apparatus, and an image data transfer control program stored in a computer readable recording medium to make a computer of the image processing apparatus execute image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
As proved by the present widespread diffusion of multifunctional digital machines such as MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals), image processing apparatuses having a plurality of functions such as copying, FAX transmission/reception and etc., have become generally used. Further, such a conventional image processing apparatus is used to store page by page, image data read out from a document by a document reader, image data received from an external apparatus to be printed, facsimile-received image data, image data to be facsimile-transmitted and other image data, temporarily in a volatile recording medium such as a work memory then in a nonvolatile recording medium such as a hard disk, in order to read out the image data from the hard disk to the work memory and output (printed or transmitted) it later when necessary.
With such a conventional image processing apparatus, a request to transfer one page of image data between the work memory and the hard disk may be issued while other image data is being transferred page by page between the work memory and the hard disk. Even if the request is issued with a high priority level, it is suspended until the ongoing transfer is completed, which is inconvenient.
For example, if image data is facsimile-received while image data read out from a document is being transferred from the work memory to the hard disk according to a copy job, a request to transfer the received image data from the work memory to the hard disk is suspended until one page of the readout image data is completely transferred. That makes the FAX reception time (communication time) longer, and thereby productivity of the receiver FAX would be reduced and a higher communication cost would be charged to the sender FAX, which is inconvenient.
Further for example, if FAX transmission of image data is started while image data read out from a document is being transferred from the work memory to the hard disk according to a copy job, a request to transfer from the hard disk to the work memory the image data to be facsimile-transmitted is suspended until one page of the readout image data is completely transferred. That also makes the FAX transmission time (communication time) longer, and thereby productivity of the receiver FAX would be reduced and a higher communication cost would be charged to the sender FAX, which is inconvenient.
According to an art suggested by Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-046704, if an external apparatus issues a transfer request with a higher priority level while image data is being transferred to another external apparatus, the ongoing transfer is suspended and the transfer to the external apparatus that issued a transfer request with a higher priority level is executed.
However, in this art disclosed in the publication above, the suspended transfer is not resumed until the request issued with a high priority level is completely executed, and thereby, it would take more time to complete the suspended transfer.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.